The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared missing its controversial Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, in Adamawa State, Yunusa Hudu Ari

The already suspended Ari caused a major controversy last Saturday when he prematurely declared Aisha Binani of the All Progressives Congress, APC, winner of the Adamawa supplementary governorship election when the electoral umpire was still collating the results.

However, INEC’s spokesman, Festus Okoye, said on Friday April 21, 2022, that the REC in the eye of the storm had not been responding to his telephone call since the unceremonious action.

Appearing on Channels Television, Okoye said, “We don’t know where he is because, after this particular incident, the Commission wrote to him and also called him on the phone.

“He never returned any of the calls; he never answered any of the calls.

“We asked him to report to the Commission on Sunday, we didn’t see him, we asked him to report on Monday, we didn’t see him. So up till this moment, he has not reported and we don’t know his whereabouts.”

Earlier, President Muhammadu Buhari approved the immediate suspension from office of Hudu Yunusa Ari, pending the completion of investigation by the Inspector General of Police on the conduct of the REC during the Supplementary election in Adamawa State.

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The president, through a statement by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, also directed the immediate investigation and prosecution, if found liable, of Barr. Hudu Yunusa Ari, by the Inspector General of Police.

In the supplementary election conducted last Saturday, the electoral commission, INEC, declared Ahmadu Fintiri, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who polled 9,337 votes, the winner of the Adamawa re-run.

He out-wrestled Senator Aishatu ‘Binani’ Dahiru of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who scored 6,513 votes.

At the end of the entire exercise, Fintiri polled 430,861 votes, defeating Binani who got 398,738 votes.